Sineater

Krav had the keys to our bonds.

Starna took a deep breath as soon as he took off her collar, like it had been choking her so she couldn’t breathe easily. Embarrassment crossed over her face as soon as she realized the Grim was looking at her and she tried to cover her face.

“I recognized you the moment we met little Shellock, but continuing this farce will waste both time and focus.” The Grim cut the ropes securing my hands, then handed me the knife so I could finish freeing myself.

“He recognized you?” I looked between the two of them. “Is that why you were so quick to trust him?” I turned to the Grim when Starna didn’t answer. “How do you know her?”

“Her secret to tell.” Krav backed out of the wagon. “I assume the two of you in here means the princess has been captured and is on her way back to Hepool?”

“Yes…” I started to look away in shame, then realized what he said. “Wait, you knew Alessa was the princess?”

“I knew who all three of you were the moment I saw your little group.” The bone-skinned man held out his hand to help Starna out of the wagon.

“What are you going to do now?” The Grim looked at both of us as soon as I got out of the wagon.

“We have to stop the Regent from marrying my cousin.” I opened the storage container at the back of the wagon. “He killed our parents, I can’t let him trap her any longer.”

“You’re only one man, and you plan on storming an entire city?” Krav shook his head. “How do you plan on even getting in?”

“Can you..?”

“Wait! What do you mean cousin?” Starna interrupted me.

I pulled my sword out of the box and slung it over my shoulder. It would be easier to run with it that way. My pack was also in the storage box, though the food and coins were gone. “Alessa and I are cousins.” I moved around the wagon and started going through the dead Elves pockets. There were almost five gold coins worth of money between the two. When I looked up at the other two, Starna was still speechless, but the Grim didn’t look surprised at all. Not that his boney face could show much emotion.

“You knew.” I paused. “How?”

“That you were Prince Sectum Malus?” The Grim shrugged. “You look like the spitting image of your grandfather.”

I realized that if he had fought in the Great War with my great-grandfather, then he would have also fought with my father. “Garm told you, didn’t he?”

Krav smiled. “He did. But that was how I knew you were alive, not that you were walking down the road to me.”

“I’m still trying to understand.” Starna looked between the two of us. “Prince Sectum died in the uprising.”

Krav looked at her then at me. “I assure you, he is the Prince, though I am curious. Last I heard, Irons wasn’t going to tell you who you were.” He gestured up the road. “Was it when he dropped you off with the princess?”

I shook my head. “Alessa and I…” I didn’t know how to explain it. “We had a shared memory.” I picked up my shirt and touched the six pointed star scar. “Arkun made me take this wound from her the night he killed our parents. He pushed me in the harbor because he thought I was dead.” I looked over at Starna. “Garm found me and pulled me out of the water, but I never remembered everything until last night.”

The elf just stared at the scar I was touching. “Her Highness has a scar just like that…”

I nodded and turned to the Grim. “What was your plan? Why are you here?”

“Talia got word to Banrion about what was happening and she sent me to observe.” The Grim looked between the two of us. “I can help you where I can, but I can’t start a war between the Mebope and the Elves.” He turned to me. “What are you going to do?”

Alessa being my cousin didn’t change what I would have done even if I was still a nobody to her.

“I’m going to stop that wedding.”